10 Must Know Facts About Rick Rubin

Legendary producer, Rick Rubin, is responsible for at least half of Kanye West’s new album, Yeezus. Rubin helped popularize hip-hop and was one of the most iconic and diverse producers that the music industry has seen. Here are 10 things you may not have known about the talented producer.

1. He co-founded Def Jam Records.

He and Russell Simmons formed the famous record label in 1984 out of Rubin’s dorm room at New York University.

2. He’s a vegan.

3. In high school, he created a punk band.

In an attempt to garner attention for their band, they had two friends heckle them in the audience and create a scene. Rubin’s father arrived in police uniform to break up the fight and shut down the performance. It was the band’s biggest claim to fame.

4. Despite his long time spent in the music industry, Rick Rubin has no musical ability.

Apart from some rudimentary guitar chords, he can play nothing else.

5. He changed his second record company’s title, Def American, to American RecordingsH after finding the word ‘def’ in a dictionary.

6. He’s won Producer of the Year twice at the Grammys.

He won in 2007 and 2009. In 2012, he won a Grammy for his role as the producer for Adele’s 21.

7. The Village Voice gave him the nickname “Satan’s Record Producer”.

He earned the title by supporting controversial artists, such as southern rappers, Geto Boys, and the metal band, Slayer.

8. He once owned a wrestling circuit in South Carolina.

He claims he did it because he wanted to give the money to people to do what they most wanted to do.

9. His first passion was for magic.

Before music took over as his primary passion in life in high school, Rubin would travel monthly to Manhattan to attend International Brotherhood of Magicians meetings. He says it interested him because he was always intrigued by the spiritual and other-worldly.

10. He admits to having always been sort of an oddity.

He attributes this to his very liberal upbringing. His upbringing led to no sense of boundaries that he later had to learn in life. He also reports that in school he would wear sunglasses 24/7 and a motorcycle jacket, which set him apart from his peers.